


Rydell Graduating Class of 1960

by Ohshitmyship



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Grease (1978) Fusion, Destiel going canon 3 times broke me, Grease!Au, Horny, Inspired by Grease, Like this is literally Grease, Multi, Period-Typical Homophobia, and cheesy as Grease, and this is a product of that brokennes, but only like a little bit? it's really not the main centre of the fic, gratuitous 1950s slang, i have a lot of feelings ok, it's mostly there for plot reasons, this will be as fluffy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:54:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28486443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ohshitmyship/pseuds/Ohshitmyship
Summary: The summer before his senior year, Dean was convinced he'd spend it alone. That was, before meeting his friend's cousin, Castiel Novak. It isn't long before the two fall in love, but all summers must come to an end, and the boys must say goodbye.or so they think.Dean and Cas are reunited at the beginning of their senior year and learn to navigate school dances, sleepovers, rumbles, and races with the help of their friends.OR:Grease but gayer
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Ruby/Sam Winchester
Kudos: 5





	1. Summer of '59

**Author's Note:**

> Ok SO for those of y'all who have been following me since 2016 (though I don't think there are many of you lol), you'll know that I actually wrote a Grease AU fic for Destiel back in the day. Don't go back and read it, it's not good, I promise. Please.
> 
> HOWEVER, I did really like the concept of it, and I've kinda been sliding into my old 2016 interests within the past little while; Klance, Harry Potter, and of course Destiel. I mean, can you blame me? It became canon like 3 times and each time was just as weird and homophobic as the last. I've been REALLY wanting to make a destiel fic and I kinda realized I really liked my Grease AU, and my writing has improved a lot, so I thought I'd do something with it. 
> 
> ANYWHOMST Happy New Years! I'm sure we're all glad to be done with 2020 lol. As for this fic, idk how quickly I'll update it, BUT I will always post a week early on my Patreon (ohsh!tmyship) (which is basically my glorified tip jar, I post everything here for free). Uhhhh I think that's it for now, any questions feel free to ask!
> 
> Thanks, and happy reading:)

Dean kicked at the sand absently, moving up and down the beach, away from the surf. Summer had just started, and Dean was already miserable.

It wasn’t fair, in all honesty.

His friends from school were all occupied: Benny and his family went down to spend the summer in Louisiana with his cousins; Kevin was at some summer camp for genius kids; and Gabriel was off at his girlfriend’s family’s lodge upstate. His little brother Sam wasn’t even available, as he’d taken up a job at the Surf Shack to pay for his upcoming law school. 

Dean sighed heavily as he paused in his steps, looking round him at the people crowding the beach. Sam was a year younger than him and was only going into the eleventh grade, but he was already prepping for law school, like the responsible little shit he was.

Unfortunately though, that left Dean stranded for the summer, which  _ sucked,  _ because it was the summer before his senior year, and he kind of wanted to make it count.

Dean made his way up to the pier on the beach, which jutted out far into the waves. Maybe he could pick up some girls there.

Once he made it to the pier, he recognized a head of shoulder-length brown hair in a pink swimsuit and cover-up, walking along the pier with a boy about their age. Dean approached them, tapping his friend’s shoulder.

She turned and beamed when she saw Dean.

“Hey!” She greeted, hugging him before taking a step back.

“Hey, Hannah,” Dean said. Then he looked over at the boy next to her, “Who’s this? A new boyfriend?”

“Gross!” Hannah said as she wrinkled her nose, “No! This is my cousin, Castiel.”

“Please,” Castiel said as he stuck out his hand, “Call me Cas.”

“I’m Dean,” he said as he took Cas’s hand and shook it. He was struck by how  _ deep _ Castiel’s voice was – a rough baritone that could only be described as sexy, which was weird. It seemed fitting for him though – Cas had a mop of dishevelled black hair, a lean but sculpted body, and piercing blue eyes that seemed to stare into his very soul.

“So, uh,” Dean said as he let go of Cas’s firm grip. “You new here?”

“He’s from Canada.” Hannah said excitedly, “and he’s spending the summer down here with us! Hey, you wanna help me show him around?”

“Sure.” Dean shrugged, “And I’ve got Baby, so I can drive you anywhere you need.”

“Baby?” Cas asked as he cocked his head to the side in a way that was weirdly endearing.

“His car,” Hannah said with a roll of her eyes, “It’s his dad’s muscle car that he never stops working on. I’m surprised you’re here and not at the shop.”

“I needed some fresh air. I can only spend so much time in the garage with Dad.”

“Right. Well, I was just gonna show Cas where to get some good ice cream nearby – you wanna come?”

“I  _ guess  _ I can make time for it.”

“Oh, as if you have something better to do!” Hannah teased and she punched his arm lightly, “C’mon, you’ll have all summer to flirt with the girls.”

Dean rolled his eyes dramatically, but he didn’t protest. Instead, he followed Hannah as they walked away from the pier and towards the boardwalk at the far end of the beach. It was already fairly crowded, and they could see the ferris wheel in motion.

As Hannah chatted with Dean about the last year and what each of their friends were doing for the summer, Dean felt someone staring at him.

He glanced at Cas, who was trailing just behind Hannah, and he looked away right as Dean turned. His expression was plain and uninterested, but he had  _ definitely  _ been staring. Dean wasn’t sure why, though. Both boys were shirtless and wearing swim trunks – Dean’s were blue and plain, while Cas’s had little honeybees. 

Maybe he’d been sizing Dean up, wondering if he’d make a move on Hannah. He wouldn’t, of course – he wasn’t into her, and they’d been friends for years.

_ Oh well, _ he thought to himself as he continued to talk to Hannah,  _ whatever it is, I’m sure it’s nothing. _

* * *

Two days later, Dean was rudely woken up by his name being called.

“DEAN!” John’s voice boomed through the house, jostling him from a  _ very  _ nice dream, “Get your lazy ass outta bed and answer the phone!”

Dean groaned as he kicked his legs out from under the covers. He’d been hoping to sleep in, as he’d been out late the night before working in the shop. 

He plodded his way down the stairs, where his father was waiting at the bottom, holding the phone in his hand. He thrust the phone at him then turned away, heading into the kitchen.

“Hello?” Dean grumbled, rubbing his eyes as he leaned against the railing of the stairs.

“ _ Dean, you gotta help me!” _ Hannah’s voice said on the other end.

Immediately, Dean woke up. He sat up straighter, the panic in Hannah’s tone shooting adrenaline into his veins.

“Hannah, what’s wrong?” He asked, “Do you need me to come pick you up?”

“ _ No, no I’m fine,”  _ Hannah assured, “ _ I’m sorry I didn’t mean to worry you! But I promised to take Cas to the beach today and I totally forgot that I made plans with Adam and I can’t cancel on him and you’re the only one Cas knows and –” _

“Hannah, it’s  _ fine, _ ” Dean assured with a sigh, relaxing again, “It’s no problem, seriously. I was gonna go to the beach again anyways, I have to drop Sammy off at work at noon.”

“ _ Thank you Dean, you’re a life-saver. So you’ll come pick Cas up at quarter-to?” _

“Yeah, it’s a date.”

“ _ Right. Thanks again, Dean _ .”

“No worries. See you later.”

As soon as Dean hung up the phone, he heard his father’s voice speak from the entrance to the kitchen.

“Who was that?”

“It was Hannah,” Dean replied as he went into the kitchen, deciding he may as well fix himself some breakfast now that he was up, “She was stuck and so I helped her out.”

“With a date?” John asked with a quirked eyebrow as he drank his coffee.

“No, I was just joking. Her cousin Cas is spending the summer here and I guess she mixed up her plans. I’m the only one Cas knows aside from Hannah, so she asked if I could take him to the beach.”

“That’s mighty kind of you. How old is Cas?”

“He’s in my year.”

“You’d think he’d be able to get around on his own,” John grumbled.

Dean shrugged as he began to pour out some cereal, then grabbed the milk, “I mean, he’s from Canada, and he’s only been here a few days. I get that he’d be a bit nervous to be by himself. And It’s not like I had anything else planned for today.”

John just grumbled while they ate.

A couple hours later, Sam and Dean were pulling up to Hannah’s house in Dean’s car, with Sam sitting shotgun. Dean honked once to announce their arrival and the door opened. Cas and Hannah both came out, with Hannah leaning on the driver’s side while Cas got in the back of the car.

“Thanks again, Dean,” she said through the open window.

“No worries,” he assured, “Now go have fun on your date, though I can’t imagine how that’s possible with Adam.”

She just snorted in response and smacked his arm. Dean rolled the window up as she waved, pulling the car away.

“Cas, this is my little brother Sam,” Dean explained. Sam turned in his seat and waved, “We’re dropping him off at work. You eaten yet?”

“I haven’t had lunch, no.”

“Perfect. We can pick something up from the Surf Shack when we drop Sam off.”

It wasn’t long before Dean parked the car, Sam rushed to clock in, and Dean led Cas to a booth by the window. A waitress soon came over and greeted them, taking their drink orders. Once she had, Cas spoke.

“Thank you for taking me.”

“It’s nothing,” Dean said casually as he looked at the menu, though he already knew what he wanted, “I’m always happy to help a friend out. And besides, I certainly wouldn’t mind having someone to hang around with.”

“You mentioned yesterday that all of your friends are busy,” Cas recalled, “Why don’t you hang out with Hannah’s friends?”

“They’re not any less busy,” Dean replied, “I do spend time with them, but not as much as the guys. What about you – any other friends down here?”

Cas shrugged as he looked through the menu, “I’ve only been here a week, and Hannah’s friends have been rather preoccupied as well. You’re the only person I know that’s not family.”

“I guess that means we’ll be hanging out a lot this summer, huh?”

Cas just nodded before lifting his menu, shielding his face from Dean’s view. Soon, their waitress returned with their drinks and took their orders. Dean couldn’t help but smile at Cas’s pleased grin when he took a sip of the chocolate milkshake.

“You like sweets?” Dean asked as he sipped his coke.

“I do,” Cas admitted, “Everyone in my family has a bit of a sweet tooth.”

“Oh, trust me, I know,” Dean said with a laugh, “I’ve been to the Frosty Palace enough with Gabe to see that sweet tooth in action. It’s a miracle his teeth haven’t rotted out of his skull.”

Cas laughed, and for some reason, it made Dean smile.

“So have you lived here long?” Cas asked.

“Born and raised in the area. I know Hannah can get busy – she’s got a job at the Palace, so I can show you around.”

“Don’t you have a job?” Cas asked, “Hannah mentioned you worked at a garage?”

“Oh, yeah, but that’s my dad’s shop,” Dean said with a dismissive wave, “I work there whenever he needs me, and he doesn’t care if I bring a friend or two, so long as you don’t get in the way. So, any idea what you wanna do after this?”

Cas smiled nervously, “I, well, I would like to learn to surf.”

“Surf?”

“This  _ is  _ California, yes?” Cas prompted, “I thought...well I heard that surfing was good here.”

“It is,” Dean admitted, “but I haven’t surfed since I was a little kid.”

“Oh.” Cas slumped a little bit in his seat, playing with the straw in his milkshake. 

“But...I can rent us a couple of boards for a day. I know a private beach we could go to.”

“Really?” Cas immediately perked up, a smile gracing his face.

“Yeah,” Dean said, not being able to stop his own smile. For some reason, he wanted to see Cas happy.

Probably because he needed a friend.

* * *

A few days later, Cas sat on a work table, swinging his legs as Dean poked at an engine in a car in the garage.

“So what’s Canada like?”

Cas shrugged, taking a loose wrench and fiddling with it, “It’s not too different from here, at least in the summer. I live in Niagara, so we’ve got lots of big lakes – not big enough to have waves though.”

“So it doesn’t snow there nine months of the year?”

Cas scoffed, “It almost does. It starts getting cold in October, and we usually start getting snow by November. Then the snow stays until April, where it’s washed away by rain. By May, everything heats up, and it gets unbearably hot in the summer. It can reach up to forty degrees.

“ _ Pfft,  _ if you think forty degrees is hot, you’ll burst into flame before the week is out.”

“Celcius, I mean. That’s about a hundred degrees fahrenheit.”

“Oh. Well then you should be fine.”

Cas laughed and Dean smiled, but the moment was interrupted by John as he came in through the main door, which was open to allow some fresh air and so that they wouldn’t be cooked alive in the mechanic shop.

“Hey, Dean,” John greeted as he approached, “Who’s your new friend?”

Dean stood up and wiped his hands off using a rag, “Dad, this is Castiel – Hannah and Gabe’s cousin. He’s spending the summer here. Cas, this is my dad.”

Cas hopped off the ledge and stuck out his hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Winchester.”

“Always nice to meet another one of Dean’s friends, especially one with such a professional grip,” John joked as he shook Cas’s hand, “You helping my son out with the car?”

Cas shrugged, “I’m providing company. I’m afraid I don’t know much about cars.”

“Right. Well, don’t screw around with anything then.” Then he turned to Dean, “Here, I’ll take over – you and Cas can take off.”

“Oh, thanks,” Dean said, tossing the rag on the worktable, “You sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure – go enjoy your summer. I can handle two cars.”

Dean grinned as he and Cas went to his car waiting in the lot. In the couple weeks that Cas and Dean had started hanging out, it became a natural sight to have him in the passenger seat.

“So, what do you wanna do?”

Cas shrugged loosely, “I’d like to go to the beach. Oh! You said you knew a more secluded spot?”

“I do,” Dean said with a grin as he put the car in gear and began to drive away, “It’s a small beach but it’s hard to get to – you’re not wearing sandals or any nice shoes?”

“Nope!” Cas looked down at himself – at the brightly coloured hawaiian shirt and matching swim shorts, as well as blue shoes, “Should I be worried?”

“No, no, but just do me a favour and don’t tell anyone about this place.”

Cas raised an eyebrow, “Dean, who would I tell?”

“That’s fair,” Dean admitted with a laugh, “Anyways, us and our friends know about it, but I think that’s about it, since it’s so tucked away, and we’d rather keep it that way.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” Cas promised.

“Perfect. I just gotta go in and change, feel free to come in.”

Cas nodded and followed Dean out of the car through the front door. As they took off their shoes, Cas looked at the house, nodding appreciatively. It wasn’t big or anything special, but it was home.

“C’mon,” he said, gesturing for Cas to follow him upstairs. After a moment, Cas did follow.

“I’m just gonna grab some trunks and another shirt,” Dean said as he opened the door to his room. It was very clean, with a handful of photos and rock posters, as well as a flag for Rydell High pinned above Dean’s twin bed. Cas took a seat there, looking around the room as Dean went to his closet and grabbed a shirt.

“Is uh…” Cas cleared his throat, “Is anyone home?”

“Nah – we just saw Dad at the shop and Sammy’s at work.”

“What about your mother?”

Dean paused, looking at Cas’s innocent, curious expression. He sighed as he tossed his shirt on the bed, “She died when I was a kid.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“S’fine. But yeah, we’ve got the house to ourselves – why? You’d rather mess around here?” Dean had grabbed his swim shorts at this point, so he shucked off his shirt, tossing it in the laundry. He looked back to see Cas turning  _ very  _ red in the face.

“Are-are you sure?” Cas asked, his hands fiddling with the hem of his bright shirt, “I didn’t think you were – I mean…” Cas gestured vaguely, as if he couldn’t find the words.

“It’s alright,” Dean assured with a smile, continuing to undress so he was in his underwear, “If we wanna have a bitchin’ bash right here with the two of us, we can do that, if you want. I’m pretty anti-frantic.”

Cas’s face was still very red, but he looked a little confused, “Anti-frantic?”

“Oh, I mean laid back.”

“Right. So...you’re really alright with...this?” Cas warily got to his feet, his hands fisted at his sides.

“If you are, sure! We’ve got the house to ourselves, so we may as well use it, right?”

Cas nodded, stepping closer to Dean. Dean saw something in his eyes then – a look that was very familiar to him, a look he’d seen in the eyes of a dozen girls.

Before he could add two and two together, Cas was kissing him.

Dean was frozen in place.

Cas’s face was still really red, his blue eyes squeezed shut as he rested his hands – still curled into fists – on Dean’s chest. A part of his brain recognized that Cas’s lips were  _ really  _ soft, but he was mostly just trying to catch up on what was happening.

After a moment, Cas pulled back, his face falling when he saw Dean’s shocked expression.

“I-I’m sorry,” he stammered, stepping back, “I shouldn’t’ve – I don’t know what I was thinking.” Then he rushed past Dean out into the hallway.

That was enough to snap Dean out of it, and he turned around, bounding after Cas.

“Hey! Wait!”

Cas ignored him, running towards the front door. He didn’t even pause to put his shoes on, just grabbed them. As he was reaching for the handle, Dean ran forward and crashed into the door, startling Cas.

“I’m sorry!” He snapped, looking equal parts angry and nervous, “Look, I got the wrong message, so I’ll just leave!”

“No, it’s okay!” Dean assured, turning the lock on the door. Cas obviously noticed because he dropped his shoes, but he looked even more confused than before.

“Dean...please tell me what you’re thinking.”

“Look, I ain’t gonna go ape on you,” Dean said, trying for some semblance of calm, “You just...kinda threw me there. I’m not mad.”

“You’re...not?”

“No. No, I’m not. I’m  _ surprised,  _ yeah, but I ain’t mad. Why did you kiss me?”

Cas blushed even deeper, and he looked away from Dean, “I um...with us in your room...and you undressing...and you said the house was empty and we could have a bash…” Cas sighed and threw his hands up, turning away from Dean so his back was to him, “I obviously wasn’t thinking.”

Dean watched him for a moment, collecting his thoughts before speaking.

“In your defense...I  _ did  _ say I was okay with it.”

Cas scoffed, though he still didn’t turn to face Dean, “You’re being ridiculously laid back about this.”

“Yeah, well, I think you got lucky – one of my best friends is a lesbian.”

That seemed to catch Cas’s attention, because he glanced back at Dean.

“Are you pulling my leg?”

“Scout’s honour!” Dean swore, holding a hand up in a mock-salute. He saw a smile tug at Cas’s features, but it was quick, “We’ve all known Charlie since we were ankle-biters, and it’s been almost as long that we knew she liked girls. I can’t speak for all of our parents, but we couldn’t care less. So yeah, I’m kinda shocked that you kissed me but...I ain’t mad.”

Slowly, Cas turned around to face Dean. he gripped his upper arms and his shoulders slumped, like he wanted to curl in on himself.

“So… you wouldn’t be upset if I said I was… if I were…”

“If you were gay?” Dean asked with a smile, “No, not at all! I’d prefer if you didn’t spring one on me again, though.”

That was enough to get Cas to chuckle and straighten up a bit, and Dean could see that he was more at ease.

“I’m gonna go back upstairs and change,” Dean told him, “You can wait for me wherever you feel comfortable – if you’re still down to go to the beach?”

Cas nodded eagerly and Dean grinned.

“Right on! I’ll be down in a bit.”

* * *

Cas and Dean still remained friends and hung out nearly every day, like they had before.

Dean still brought Cas to what he and his friends called The Grotto – a small beach known only to the Angels and the Hunters. The path to it was through a local park, through the trees, off a small trail that could be mistaken as a deer path. It led to a drop about ten feet onto sand down below. They’d tied a rope to a nearby tree and used that to climb up and down. Once below, a short tunnel was visible. At high tide, the water was about knee-deep and soaked out onto the other side, but at low tide, it was dry. Either way, it was easy to walk through the tunnel to the other side, where there was a small beach surrounded by rocky cliffs and trees. The sand was soft, there were almost no rocks, and the waves were choice.

Dean and Cas did rent boards every now and then to surf, though they weren’t particularly good at it. For the most part, they goofed around, swimming in the waves, splashing around. 

They talked a lot too.

About school, their friends, their family, their favourite foods.

One day they sat at their regular booth at the Surf Shack, eating burgers and fries as they talked.

“So, I gotta ask,” Dean said, dropping his volume so they wouldn’t be overheard, “how did you know you were gay?”

Cas, who was about to bite into his burger, sighed and put it down. The two hadn't talked about the kiss or Cas’s sexuality since. This was partially because Dean genuinely didn’t care (aside from some passing curiosity), and partially because he didn’t want to make things awkward. But...well...he had become  _ very  _ curious lately.

“I sort of always knew,” Cas admitted, picking at his fries, not meeting Dean’s eyes, “I always hung around with the girls, I never had a crush on any of them but I thought some of the boys around me were dreamboats.” Cas barked a quiet laugh, “When I was in the tenth grade, I ended up getting stuck playing Seven Minutes In Heaven, and I was paired up with a  _ very  _ pretty girl.”

“So...what did you do?” Dean prompted, suddenly very interested.

“We kissed,” Cas admitted, “But it felt...stale? Then she took off her shirt and I wanted nothing more than for the seven minutes to be up. I didn’t find her the  _ least  _ bit attractive and I think it showed, because she wasn’t too pleased with me.”

“Wow,” Dean said, leaning back a bit, “So...have you ever had a boyfriend?”

“I had one. He was a year older, and we broke up a few months ago because he was going away to college.”

“So...have you ever…?” Dean prompted, leaning forward again and dropping his voice to almost a whisper.

“Have I had sex?” Cas asked, leaning in and matching Dean’s tone, “Yes. And I’m not going to bother asking you.”

“What? Why not?”

“Well, I heard it from the bird that you were fast, Dean.”

“I really can’t argue, because it’s true.”

Cas and Dean laughed, leaning back to continue their food.

“So why bother with me?” Cas asked as Dean took a large bite, “Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the company, but why spend all your time with me when you can be out talking to girls?”

Dean shrugged, waiting until he finished chewing to speak.

“I like hangin’ around with you, and I ain’t about to abandon you for some dolly.”

Cas smiled at that and rather than reply, he turned back to his fries.

Within a month, Dean realized he started getting feelings for Cas.

He should’ve known it since the beginning, in all honesty. He  _ knew  _ there had been a reason why he thought Cas’s voice was so sexy, why he found it so endearing when he tilted his head when he was confused, why he got flustered if Cas was shirtless and just a  _ bit  _ too close.

He didn’t want to acknowledge these feelings because he  _ definitely  _ liked girls. Like,  _ a lot. _ So he wasn’t gay. Far from it.

But Cas was honestly really hot.

So, one night when they laid in the sand on The Grotto’s hidden beach and watched the stars, a fire crackling by their feet, Dean spoke.

“Hey Cas?”

“Yes, Dean?”

Cas’s blue eyes reflected the stars a little too well, and when he turned to face Dean with an open expression, Dean needed to take a moment.

“Uh...is there...I mean are there other things to be besides gay and straight?”

Cas turned back to the stars and shrugged, “Of course. I believe that sexuality exists on a spectrum, and many people can be many different things.”

“Oh. Neat.”

It was quiet for a moment, the surf washing over the sand and the fire crackling over the logs.

“Is there something on your mind, Dean?”

Dean chuckled a bit. Cas was surprisingly perceptive, his wide blue eyes never missing a thing.

“There might be.”

“Would you like to talk about it?”

“Do you think James Dean is hot?”

The question seemed to throw Cas a bit, because he paused before answering.

“Of course. Why?”

“Because I think he is too.”

“Thinking a man is physically attractive doesn’t mean you’re attracted to men, Dean.”

“Well...maybe I want to kiss him?”

Cas sighed, throwing his hands up, “Well Dean, he’s dead, so I can’t really help you there. Is there any other man you have gay thoughts about?”

“You.”

Cas froze, his hands still in the air. After a moment, he turned to Dean, switching positions so he was lying on his side.

“Stop messing with me.”

“I’m not!” Dean assured, feeling his face burn with embarrassment, now that Cas had turned his spotlight eyes on him, “I just...maybe I’ve been thinking about...our kiss. A little bit. Okay, maybe a lot. And I’ve found other men attractive before but never  _ acted  _ on it or even  _ thought  _ about it but I don’t know what it is, I think maybe it’s because you’re my friend and I feel like we can talk about anything but –”

Dean was suddenly cut off by Cas leaning over and kissing him gently.

Dean was just as surprised as he had been the first time, but deciding not to make the same mistake as before, he quickly returned the kiss. His hand came up to thread into Cas’s hair while Cas braced his arms on either side of Dean.

And...yeah. It felt just as good as kissing a girl, and Dean would be lying if he said he didn’t want to keep exploring Cas, relishing the sweet marshmallow and chocolate left in their mouths from the smores they ate earlier in the evening.

After what could’ve been seconds or hours, Cas finally pulled away, his face hovering over Dean’s.

“What are you thinking, Dean?” Cas asked, his voice dropped to a whisper.

“I’m thinking...that you taste _ really  _ good, and I’m not sure if I’m craving smores or you.”

Cas actually laughed at that. A genuine, soft laugh that had his breath dancing over Dean’s face as he shook above him.

“You’re a terrible flirt, Dean Winchester,” Cas said before leaning down to capture Dean’s lips again. Dean surrendered easily, wondering what the hell he’d been worried about.

* * *

Dean and Cas spent the rest of the summer together.

They met up almost daily, jumping between the beach, The Grotto, their houses, the drive-in, the Shack and the Frosty Palace. Dean happily showed Cas all his favourite joints around the city, and when they were ever in need of some privacy, they’d either hike out to their private beach or take Dean’s Baby out for a drive and park somewhere nobody would see.

Now, Dean  _ could’ve  _ gone to Make-Out Point – an old parking lot on a hill overlooking the town where most couples went to have their fun. Dean had been there dozens of times with a dozen girls, but this was different. He’d been caught by one of his friends in the past, recognized at the Point.

He couldn’t really risk it with Cas.

So instead, they made their own time, far away from prying eyes.

Or, they  _ tried. _

About three weeks into their newly defined relationship, they’d been in Dean’s room in the late afternoon.

John Winchester had finished up at the garage and went over to Bobby’s for a drink and to watch the game, which meant he wouldn’t be back until dinner. Sam was out with his new girlfriend Ruby, which left Dean and Cas with the house to themselves.

So, Dean had put on an Elvis record and the two had settled down on his bed. Cas straddled him, Dean’s back on the mattress. He was down to his underwear, though Cas was still fully dressed.

“C’mon,” Dean complained as Cas moved to kiss at his neck, “You’re killin’ me, Cas.”

“Have some patience, Dean.”

“At least lemme see ya.” To accent his point, Dean grabbed the back of Cas’s shirt and tugged.

With a dramatic sigh, Cas sat back and lifted his shirt off, tossing it on the floor.

“Is that better?” Cas asked, leaning back down to press his chest to Dean’s.

“ _ Much _ ,” Dean replied with a grin, moving his hands to rest on Cas’s hips, “Though it could be better.”

Cas just laughed at him before kissing him again, one hand cupping his face while the other rested on his shoulder.

“Hey Dean I –  _ oh my god _ !”

Both boys jolted, knocking their heads together. They both swore as Cas rolled off Dean, while Dean sat up, holding his forehead and glaring at Sam.

He stood in the doorway, his jaw on the floor, eyes wide as dinner plates.

“Sam!” Dean yelled, springing up from his bed. Sam yelped and ran back down the stairs.

“Sam! You get back here!”

“No!” Sam called as he ran through the house, Dean close on his heels, “I’m not about to let you feed me a knuckle sandwich!”

Sam made it all the way to the back door before Dean tackled him roughly. Sam started swinging, but Dean – being a wrestling champion – quickly pinned him.

“Don’t hurt me!” Sam cried, scrunching his face up and turning away.

“I ain’t gonna hurt you!” Dean snapped, “What the hell are you doing here? Is Dad with you?”

“What? No! Ruby got into some trouble with her parents so Charlie drove me home! I was just coming to change before going to hang out with her and Jo!”

“What were you doing in my room?” Dean demanded.

“I just wanted to see if you wanted to come with me!” Sam said, cracking one eye open to gauge how likely Dean was to beat him senseless, “I knew Cas was over but I didn’t...I had no idea.”

Dean sighed before getting off of Sam and helping him up.

“So…” Sam said as Dean glared at him, “are you gay now?”

“I’m bisexual. I think.” Dean sighed again and rubbed his face, “Look, I’m still trying to figure this shit out.”

“But you and Cas…?”

“Are together. Yeah.”

“You going steady?”

“We haven’t talked about it – look, you cool with this?”  
“Peachy!” Sam assured, holding his hands up, “I mean, I kinda suspected. Dad doesn’t know, right?”

Dean scoffed, “No, and he’s not gonna know, not for a while. No one else knows either – I’m just not ready to deal with that.”

“Alright, I won’t say anything.”

“Thanks, Sammy.”

“Of course. So…” Sam’s worried look turned into a mischievous grin, “You wanna come hang out with us or stay here neckin’ Cas?”

“Hit the road before I hit you.”

Sam just laughed at him before heading to the front door, Dean following after him. As they got into the entrance, Dean saw Cas standing on the stairs nervously, his shirt back on.

“Is everything alright?” Cas asked, glancing between the brothers.

“Yeah, we’re fine,” Sam assured as he grabbed the handle, “I won’t say nothin’ to no one. You guys have fun – I’ll be back late.”

“Don’t be too late, or Dad’ll be pissed.”

“Sure. See ya later.”

With that, Sam left, leaving the two boys once again alone in the house.

Dean sighed heavily before turning to Cas, making his way up the stairs.

“Sorry about that. Ruby bailed so he came to see if we wanted to hang out with everyone.”

“Are we going to?” Cas asked.

“Shit, I’m sorry – I said no. I didn’t think about you meeting the others.”

“It’s alright!” Cas quickly assured, taking Dean’s hand in one of his own, “I’d rather stay here with you.”

“Me too. C’mon, let’s go back upstairs.”

* * *

Dean had never felt so comfortable with someone as he did with Cas.

Maybe part of that reason was the sex, but Dean just felt like he could talk to Cas about anything and everything. They walked on the boardwalk and talked about the movies they saw together, they sang to their favourite songs with the windows down as Dean drove to nowhere, and they whispered about their plans for the future under the stars in The Grotto.

“I want to travel,” Cas told Dean one night, their hands intertwined as they laid on a blanket near the firepit, “Go all over the world, meet all kinds of people. I’d like to go to school for anthropology – get to study people of all walks of life. I think I’d really like to do research on homosexual communtiies. We can’t be the only ones – in North America, I mean. And I’ve heard stories too, people like us have been around since the beginning of time, we can’t be unnatural.” Cas turned to Dean, a sheepish smile on his face, “Sorry. I guess I can get kind of riled up about it.”

“Well I love hearing about it,” Dean assured, squeezing his hand, “and that kinda life seems amazing. To be able to travel the world, do whatever you want. That’s freedom.”

“What about you?” Cas asked, “What do you want to do after highschool?”

“Doesn’t really matter what I wanna do,” Dean admitted with a sigh, “because I know what I’m  _ gonna  _ do; I’m gonna work full-time in the shop with Dad, he’s gonna change the name to Winchester & Son for my twentieth birthday, and I’ll probably spend the rest of my life in this city.”

Cas frowned, “That doesn’t sound like what you want to do – it almost sounds like what your father wants.”

“It is what he wants. But I can’t imagine telling him that I want to do anything else. Besides, it’s not like I’ve got anything planned, and I really do like working with cars and bikes and stuff. Honestly, I’ll be happy if I get to be a mechanic for the rest of my life.”

“And I respect that – I admire that you know what you love. But…” Cas sighed deeply, turning back to look at the stars, “Isn’t there  _ anything  _ else? Aside from what your father told you?”

Dean parroted Cas’s sigh before speaking.

“Cas, I’m gonna let you in on a secret.”

“What is it?”

“Out of Sam and I, only one of us can be the rebel, and Sam’s been punching up since he was a little kid. Dad wanted him to join the family business too – he’s still holding out that Sam’s gonna change his mind, but he’s not gonna. Sam’s gunning for law school, and I don’t doubt he’ll get in. But someone’s gotta stay home for Dad, and I really don’t mind if it’s me.”

“I was wrong about you, Dean Winchester,” Cas said, turning his head to look at Dean, “You’re not a rebel – you’re a people-pleaser.”

“You say that like you’re disappointed.”

“Maybe I am, just a little. I thought it would be nice to find another rebel like me.”

“You’re a rebel?” Dean scoffed gently, “Cas, you wear floral shirts and help old ladies cross the street.”

“I don’t have to be an ass to be a rebel. All I have to do is  _ exist,  _ and for my parents, it’s enough.”

Dean frowned, “What do you mean?”

Cas used his free hand to gesture vaguely, “Well, they’re  _ incredibly  _ religious for one. I might not mind it if not for the fact that they pick and choose what they want to follow. They’ll cry ‘love thy neighbour’ all day long, but my father still steps on those below him and my mother starts petty competitions with the women around her and  _ both  _ of them are so close-minded. They preach kindness, but there’s hardly an ounce in them.”

“Do you have any siblings?” Dean asked.

Cas nodded, “Michael. Raphael. Ariel. Then me.”

“Are you...close?”

“In age? Yes – we’re only about a year apart each. But I wouldn’t consider us close. I barely talk to my siblings unless I have to. I learned early on that they don’t feel the same as I.”

“That sounds lonely as hell.”

Cas chuckled a bit, “It is, I admit. It also means that there’s no one to help me if I’m ever in trouble, especially  _ with  _ my parents. It makes me rather jealous of you and Sam.”

“Yeah...I give Sam a lot of shit but I’d do anything for the kid, and I think he’d do the same for me.”

Cas hummed in thought for a moment before speaking, “This may be rude to ask but...how is your relationship with your father? Both you and Sam? And you don’t have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“I feel like I can tell you anything,” Dean admitted, then he sighed deeply, “But...it’s...it’s hard to explain. Dad loves us and we love him but, we fight sometimes. Especially him and Sam; they’re always butting heads about everything.  _ Sam  _ is the rebel, I just try to calm them down before one of them goes ape.” Then Dean laughed, raising an eyebrow at Cas, “Uh, how deep do you wanna go down this rabbithole?”

“As deep as you would like, Dean. I’m more than happy to listen.”

“Thanks, Cas. Well...damn, I’ve never had to put this into words before.”

Cas frowned, “Have you never told anyone this?”

Dean shrugged, “I never really needed to. All of our friends grew up with us, everyone knows what happened, so Sam and I never had to talk about it to anyone.”

“So...I’m the first one you’re telling this to?”

“Yeah.”

“You don’t have to, Dean, if you don’t want to.”

Dean thought about it for a moment before squeezing his hand, “I want to. You sure you wanna listen? It ain’t a nice story.”

“Of course I’ll listen. I’m all ears.”

Dean chuckled a bit before taking a breath. He found that if he stared up at the stars, it made it a little easier to formulate his thoughts.

“Sam’s about a year and a half younger than me. When I was four, our mom died in a house fire. I remember Dad telling me to take Sammy and get out while he went to look for Mom. Dad ended up in the hospital for inhaling too much smoke, and Mom never made it out.” Dean took a shaky breath. It still hurt, after all these years. How could it not?

“Sam doesn’t remember it,” he continued, “too young. I remember it though, and I remember what it was like before she died. Dad changed after, and I can’t really blame him for that. But...he became distant, rough. He was trying to raise two kids on his own while trying to deal with the death of his wife. He became obsessive too – we’ve got fire alarms in every room, fire extinguishers in the kitchen, garage, and bathroom, drilled different fire safety protocols into us, and we live five minutes from the firehouse. But it wasn’t just about the safety – Dad just latched onto work, onto the shop. It was his pride and joy, and he taught us everything we know. He didn’t even think about us wanting anything else aside from this town and the shop because it was just his entire world. So a year ago, when Sam said that he wanted to be a lawyer, he and Dad got into a massive fight.”

Dean sighed before speaking again, “Dad wanted nothing more than for us to carry on the family business since it meant everything to him, but Sam wanted nothing to do with it. They still argue about it, y’know. Dad thinks he can convince Sam to stay at home where he can keep Sam safe. He’s not gonna win though – Sam’s too good of a lawyer for that, too much like Dad. So...I go along with Sam, keep him outta trouble, and I work in the shop to keep Dad happy. It’s not much but it keeps us together. Keeps us functioning.”

It was quiet after Dean finished, both boys letting the weight of his words wash over them.

“You’re a good person, Dean,” Cas said after a bit, turning to look at Dean softly, the stars reflected in his eyes, “I think it’s very kind of you to try and keep your family together, and very brave.”

Dean scoffed, “You think it’s brave of me to just follow what my Dad says?”

“I think there’s a certain kind of courage in dedicating so much to helping your family. I really admire that, and I don’t know if I could do the same.”

“No?” Dean asked softly, “If your family was falling apart, you wouldn’t try to piece it together? I know you said they’re not especially great people, but they’re still family, right?”

“Family is so complicated,” Cas said with a heavy sigh, “I am closer with Gabe and Hannah, despite only seeing them maybe once a year. And I’ve barely known you two months, but I feel as though I’ve known you all my life. If I were asked to choose between you and my family, I wouldn’t even hesitate.”

Dean didn’t need Cas to elaborate on who he would choose. In all honesty, Dean was extremely flattered; he wasn’t sure if anyone else he knew would make that same choice.

It was a while before Dean spoke again, because he was trying to think of what to say, but Cas didn’t seem to mind.

“You know…my Uncle Bobby once said that ‘family don’t end in blood’. I didn’t get what he meant, but I think I do now.” Dean turned to Cas with a smile, “I think he meant that family doesn’t always have to do with who you’re related to, but what you  _ choose  _ to make your family. I mean, when you get married, your wife is your family, but she’s not related to you.”

“I think I like that – choosing your family.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

* * *

All too soon, summer had come to an end.

A mere three days before school was set to begin, Cas and Dean had their last day together. They spent it at the public beach, building sandcastles and taking pictures, swimming and chasing each other through the waves. They had lunch at the Surf Shack, dinner from a Mexican food truck, and dessert from The Frosty Palace. Afterwards, the two went back to The Grotto to watch the sunset over the ocean. 

“It just isn’t fair,” Cas sighed, leaning his head on Dean’s shoulder, sitting together on the sand, “This has been the best summer of my life, and tomorrow I leave and I...well, I might never see you again.”

“Aw Cas, don’t talk like that,” Dean said, forcing a smile as he playfully jostled his shoulder, “I’ll come visit you, and you can always come back and visit me.”

“I know but...I’ll miss you dearly.”

“Yeah, me too. We’ll figure it out though – I’ll send you letters, be as romantic as you’d like.”

Cas laughed, then went quiet for a moment, “Dean, is this the end for us?”

“What? No, no!” Dean assured, turning to grin down at Cas, “It’s only the beginning!”


	2. The First Day of School

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK so I kind of LOVE this fic????? Like I was rereading it bc I post it a week early on patreon (osh!tmyship) and I forgot how fun it was. RN I'm in the middle of rewatching supernatural – only the early seasons and some extra episodes later on that I thought were fun, but I really like this one. I'm defo gonna keep it up, and I hope you guys enjoy the fluff too!
> 
> Thanks, and happy reading:)

“ _ Hey there, this is the brain, Dick Fontaine! Beginning your day with the only way; music, music, music! Gotta get outta bed, it’s the first day of school. Don’t be a slob, don’t get a job; get back to class, you can pass! And to start your day off fine, here’s a new old favourite of mine.” _

Dean groaned into his pillow, fumbling for the snooze button. Not the worst way to wake up – Dean liked the radio station, and the music that followed. But he didn’t want to get up. Because getting up would mean admitting that summer was over. And if the summer was over, then that meant he wouldn’t be able to see Cas anymore.

Dean sighed and rolled over, staring at the ceiling. He  _ really  _ didn’t want to wake up. He didn’t really remember his dream, but he did know that it had to do with Cas and The Grotto. 

He draped an arm over his eyes and decided to give himself no more than five minutes to mourn the loss of the best summer of his life.

_ Five.  _ He remembered the sun in his eyes, glinting off the water and the hoods of their cars. How the blue of the ocean never seemed to match up to Cas’s eyes. Cas’s bright hawaiian shirts and matching swim shorts. The starry night from The Grotto. Cas’s smile lines around his eyes, how they made him seem older and timeless at the same time.

_ Four _ . He remembered the hot sand on his toes, the cool surf gathering around his feet. The hard surfboard under him as they rode the waves. Rain soaking him and Cas to the bone, effectively ruining their picnic. Running his hands through Cas’s salt-crusted hair, his lips pressed up against Dean’s. The way his hands felt – soft and gentle, unlike Dean’s own rough hands, calloused from years of working in a garage.

_ Three. _ He remembered the sound of the waves pounding the sand and the rocks before drifting out to sea. The gulls squawking, the kids squealing. The crackle of the fire on the beach and the gentle breeze through the trees. The wind and rain pounding the windows during a storm while he and Cas watched a movie, curled up on the couch. Cas’s voice, too deep to belong to a teenager, and his wonderful laugh, how it never failed to make Dean smile. 

_ Two. _ He remembered the scent of the ocean and seaweed cooking on the beach. The smell of fresh rain cooking on the sidewalk in the hot summer sun. How the bonfire smoke mingled so perfectly with Baby’s seats and Dean’s leather jacket, how it all came together with Cas’s coconut sunscreen. 

_ One. _ He remembered the taste of a banana split shared at the Frosty Palace, the burgers served at the Surf Shack. Hot dogs cooked over an open fire, smores roasted in tin foil. The sweetness of chocolate in Cas’s kiss, marshmallow licked off his fingers, salt from the sea and Cas’s skin. Hell, just the taste of  _ Cas. _

_ Zero. _

Dean sighed heavily before dragging himself out of bed. Summer had been amazing, and he was already looking forward to writing to Cas, but he had class to get to. 

He made his way to the bathroom, and started to brush his teeth. At that point, Sam stumbled in, his hair hanging in front of his face in a giant tangle.

“You look like you slept well,” Dean joked, half-awake himself.

“Mm,” was the response he got. Dean chuckled a bit.

The boys got ready for school, grabbing breakfast as they shoved their bags full of books and their lunches. John was already at the garage, so the morning was quiet. On their way out the door, they grabbed their jackets. It was still a warm day, but all part of the  _ look. _ Sam grabbed his Hunters jacket – black leather with  _ Hunters  _ embroidered on the back in a red font, with a silver pentacle wreathed in simplistic flames. Dean had one too, but he’d always preferred his dad’s old hand-me-down brown leather jacket. It was worn and comfortable as all hell. He reached for it, but as he raised it off edge of his bed, he caught a whiff of coconut. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to concentrate all day with Cas’s lingering scent, he went for his Hunters jacket.

The two boys got in the car and Dean glanced over to the passenger seat. It had become such a common sight to have Castiel sitting there that it almost felt  _ weird  _ to have his brother in that spot.

“What?” Sam asked, pulling down the mirror to look at himself, “Do I have something in my face? Does my hair look stupid?”

“Your hair always looks stupid,” Dean laughed, putting the car in gear and driving away. They listened to the radio in silence, comfortable with it. But after a moment, Sam spoke up.

“You miss him, huh?”

Dean was tempted to snap at his brother, but there was no need. So instead, he sighed again.

“Yeah. Yeah I do, Sammy. I miss him a lot.”

Sam nodded, “Yeah. I bet. I miss him too. He was funny. Made good cookies.”

Dean chuckled, “Hell yeah he did. I might go visit him after Christmas – maybe I’ll bring you back some shortbread cookies.”

Sam grinned and Dean couldn’t help but smile in return. 

It wasn’t long before they pulled into Rydell’s parking lot. Dean let Sam jump out before going to find a parking spot for himself.

Sam quickly found the other Hunters, hanging around by the gardens and joking around.

“Hey guys!” He greeted as he approached the group, each of them wearing the same jackets as he and Dean.

“Ay, Sammy!” Gabriel called. He stood up on the bench, catching the attention of the students around them, “He hath returned!”

“I didn’t go anywhere,” Sam said, “You guys were the ones who were gone all summer. How was it?”

“The bayou was as lovely as it always is,” Benny drawled, “The food was divine and the girls were nearly as heavenly.”

“I spent the summer with  _ one  _ lovely lady,” Gabriel bragged, “Ah, Kali was  _ so  _ much fun. What about you, Kev?”

“Summer camp,” he said with a shrug. “It was honestly a lot of fun. I met a girl there but...it didn’t work out.”

“Well now we gotta find you a girl here,” Gabriel said with a laugh, then he turned to Sam, “What about you?”

“I worked all summer,” Sam said, “You guys know I gotta pay for law school on my own.”

“What about Dean?” Benny asked.

“Oh yeah, where is he?” Kevin said, looking around.

“Parking the car,” Sam said, “and he was at the beach all summer with Cas.”

“Cas?” Benny asked with a lazy smile, “Sounds like a beauty.”

“Pretty sure he’s talking about my cousin,” Gabe said, “Castiel. He was down for the summer. I didn’t see him much, but Hannah said he hung out with Dean a lot.”

“Well, at least he had someone to keep him company,” Benny said with a sigh.

“Yeah, you assholes all abandoned me.”

They all turned to see Dean strutting towards them, tossing and catching his keys, a grin on his face.

“Deano!” Gabriel shouted, leaping up to tackle him in a hug, “Thanks for taking care of Cassie for me!”

“Oh, get off,” Dean laughed, playfully shoving Gabriel, “It was nothing. We had a lot of fun, actually. Taught him how to surf, brought him to The Grotto.”

“Seems like you had a fun time,” Kevin said, “Cas sounds like he had a gas with you.”

“Look at you being all clever and rhymey,” Gabriel teased, ruffling Kevin’s hair. It was short like Dean’s, but he still recoiled and protested. He laughed with his friends, and for a brief moment, Dean forgot about Cas.

* * *

Across campus, Hannah was showing Cas a map.

“We should go to the office soon,” she said, “and get your schedule. You think you know your way around the school okay?”

“Yeah,” Cas said, looking up at the building in front of him, “it’s bigger than my old school, but I think I remember where everything is, from what you showed me. “ Then he craned his neck, looking around at the crowd of students.

Hannah giggled, “I know you’re looking for him. Dean’s probably off with Gabe and the other Hunters.”

“I do hope I’ll get to see him soon,” Cas admitted with a sigh, “One of the few positives about coming back here.”

“I know it’s been rough,” Hannah said, resting a hand on Cas’s arm, “But it’ll be nice to surprise Dean, right? Oh, he’ll be  _ so  _ happy to see you.”

Cas nodded, but he couldn’t help but wonder if things were going to be different. During the summer, they’d been pretty much alone, with only Sam knowing their secret. Cas was fine with their friends knowing – Gabe, Hannah, Dean, and Sam had all assured him that their group didn’t care about trivial things such as gender or sexuality. It was  _ Dean  _ he was worried about. 

He’d spoken to John. Heard Dean talk about him. He and Dean had been able to be themselves because they’d been granted time and privacy. While Cas was excited to see Dean again, he knew that things were likely to be different.

Just then, the first bell rang and Hannah gasped, grabbing Cas’s arm.

“C’mon! You’re gonna be late!”

Hannah quickly dragged him to the office, which was filled with teachers starting their day, clocking in, and people searching for supplies.

She shoved past, still holding onto Cas, as she approached the secretary. She smiled at the young woman, who had long red hair tied back in a braid.

“Hey, Miss Anna!” She greeted, “This is Castiel Novak – it’s his first day, and he needs his schedule.”

“Oh, yes of course!” Anna said, turning around and beginning to rifle through a drawer, “What year is he in?”

“Grade twelve,” Cas replied, glancing around him. He couldn’t help but hope he’d see Dean soon.

“Ah, yes, give me a moment.”

Cas noticed Hannah glancing at the clock that hung over the door, and he smiled at her.

“I know you don’t want to be late.”

“Sorry,” she said with a sigh, “First day and all. But I don’t wanna leave you!”

“It’s okay,” Cas assured, “I’ll see you at lunch, right?”

“Right. I’ll meet you in the front foyer, okay?”

“Sounds good. Now hurry up, or you’ll be late.”

She beamed at him before rushing out the door, her blue skirt ruffling, her pink jacket shimmering in the light as she disappeared.

“Castiel?”

Cas turned at the familiar voice and beamed when he saw Bobby Singer.

He hadn’t spent a lot of time with Bobby, but he had visited the garage every so often while he and Dean had been there, and he’d sometimes been there when Dean invited Cas over for a BBQ in the backyard. Despite the short amount of time knowing him, Cas had decided that he rather liked Bobby.

He was a gruff man, but he had a very kind heart, and Dean explained that Bobby was like a second father to them. Bobby had always been nice to Cas, and he liked his sense of humour.

So Cas beamed at Bobby as he approached the desk.

“Mr. Singer, it’s good to see you.”

“You as well, but what are you doing here?” Bobby smiled as he leaned against the desk, “Dean said you were going back to Canada – he’s been moping around since you left.”

“Well, I  _ did  _ go back to Canada. But...there was a change of plans. My family and I decided it would be best if I stayed with Gabriel and Hannah for my senior year.”

“I can’t begin to fathom why you’d move in your senior year,” Bobby said with a chuckle as he clapped Cas on the shoulder, “but I do know that Dean’ll be happy to see you. Does he know?”

“No, I haven’t had the chance to tell him yet.”

“Well, I think he might just go ape. Did I use that right?”

“I honestly have no clue, Mr. Singer.”

Bobby laughed again and stepped back, “Well, I’ll see you around, Novak.”

Cas nodded and turned back to Anna just as she handed him a schedule. He thanked her and looked down at it, sighing when he saw that his first class was on the other side of campus. 

Glad that he’d had the foresight to bring all his books with him rather than stop at a locker, Cas gathered his things and rushed out of the office. As he was briskly walking through the halls, the second bell rang, quickly clearing the way. Cas swore under his breath before breaking into a run, keeping his head down as he did to double check the location of his class.

As he was, he bumped into someone. Cas didn’t have time to look or stop, he merely backed away, mumbled a quick “sorry”, ducked his head, and continued running. He’d hit a black leather jacket and hard muscles, and had seen a couple of other people around him, and he would rather  _ not  _ get beat up on the first day of school, thank you very much.

* * *

Dean froze, watching a boy in a blue shirt run by. He’d bumped into Dean and ran off before Dean could say anything. But he’d glanced down and seen blue eyes that were  _ far  _ too familiar.

“You alright, brother?” Benny asked, noticing Dean staring at the boy rounding a corner, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“S’nothing,” Dean said, shaking his head as he continued his meander down the hallway with Gabe and Benny. Kevin and Sam had already gone to their first period, but the three seniors were in no rush, “Just looked like someone I know. Don’t worry about it.”

“Great, because I was in the middle of my story!” Gabe said, launching right back into his tale about how he  _ almost  _ got invited to an orgy over the summer. It sounded  _ almost _ true.

Soon, the announcements began, but it was the usual dribble; “welcome new and old”, “pep rally this weekend”, “tryouts”, etc, etc.

However, when Naomi, their principle, said that she had some “good news”, it caused many of the students to perk up and shut up.

“The television show  _ National Bandstand  _ has selected Rydell as a representative of American High Schools and will do a live broadcast from our very own gym. This is our chance to show the country what fine, bright,  _ clean-cut  _ –” it sounded like Naomi choked on her words for a moment before continuing, “ _ wholesome  _ students we have here at Rydell.”

Anything she said after that was completely ignored, as the students eagerly chatted amongst themselves about the opportunity to be on TV. Naomi had guessed this of course, so the last couple of announcements were just about welcoming in the new school year.

“Did you hear that?” Gabe said with a manic grin, “We’re  _ wholesome _ !”

“Oh dear lord, I can  _ feel  _ you scheming from here,” Benny laughed.

“Just don’t do anything that’ll bring the heat down on you,” Dean warned, “If you get arrested, I ain’t bailing you out.”

“ _ Rude _ ,” Gabe said, sticking out his tongue, “I won’t do anything illegal. Probably.”

Cas was very happy to see that Hannah was waiting for him in the foyer, checking her hair in a compact. She saw Cas coming and snapped it shut, grinning at him.

“So! How was your morning?” She asked.

Cas shrugged as the two began walking to the outdoor cafeteria, “It was alright. We had to break into lab partners and of  _ course _ , everyone already knew each other. My lab partner, Laurie, seems nice. I think she’s into me though.”

“Ooh, that’s rough,” Hannah said with a smile, “How do you plan on telling her ‘no’?”

“I’ll just ignore her advances for now. No use in outing myself unnecessarily.”

“Fair enough. Oh! There are the girls!”

Cas saw three other girls in pink jackets matching Hannah’s sitting at a table, and they waved Hannah and Cas over.

“Hey, Hannah!” Charlie greeted cheerfully as the two sat down, “Who’s this? He looks a lot like Cas, but it can’t be him!”

“There was a change of plans,” Cas said with a smile, “So I’m living with Gabe and Hannah until I graduate.”

“That’s great!” Jo said, “Dean’ll be jazzed – does he know you’re back yet?”

“No, not yet. I was hoping to surprise him.”

“Dean doesn’t like surprises,” Ruby warned.

“I think he’ll like this one,” Charlie argued.

“Speaking of Dean,” Ruby said with a dangerous smile, “I’ve yet to hear anyone  _ gushing  _ about Dean’s escapades over the summer. Not one word about Dean taking some dame to Makeout Point for some backseat bingo, no mention of him bringing some girl out dancing – nothing.”

“Oh yeah,” Charlie realized, “I didn’t really notice until now, but Dean usually gets pretty fast and loose in the summer, and I didn’t see him with a girl  _ once _ . What’s up with that?”

Hannah glanced at Cas, but it went unnoticed by the others. Castiel, meanwhile, was _very_ pointedly eating his sandwich. He knew exactly why Dean hadn’t been seen with any girls, or out at Makeout Point. Dean had been with Cas, in the middle of nowhere, playing their own backseat bingo. Of course, he wasn’t about to tell the girls that. They knew _he_ was gay (Charlie had been very excited to find someone else in their community), but they didn’t know _Dean_ was.  So he continued to eat in silence.

“He usually brings girls to the Roadhouse,” Jo added, “but the only person he brought was Cas.”

_ Oh no. _

“Dean  _ was  _ with Cas all summer,” Hannah explained, “Dean didn’t really have any guys to hang around with this summer since all of the Hunters were busy, including Sam.”

“And I needed a friend that I wasn’t related to,” Cas joked, trying to cast away suspicion, “I will admit that I was a bit needy, as I didn’t really know anyone.”

“Oh  _ please _ ,” Hannah laughed, “Dean was just as happy to hang out with you. Dean doesn’t seem like it, but he’s a needy guy. Emotionally, that is.”

_ Oh, I know exactly how needy he can be _ .

But instead of that, Cas said “Oh?”

“He goes after girls when he gets lonely,” Ruby said matter-of-factly, “I mean, he goes after girls whenever he’s bored, but  _ especially  _ when he’s lonely. With the boys all gone and Sammy working, I was worried that he was gonna knock someone up.”

“Unless of course,” Charlie joked, “Cas is  _ actually  _ a girl posing as a boy for mysterious reasons and the real reason why you’re here is because you’re pregnant with Dean’s baby.”

“I can assure you that I am indeed a boy, and I am not pregnant.”

“So why are you here?” Jo asked, pulling her long blonde ponytail behind her shoulder, “You and Dean were pretty certain you were moving back. I don’t think he’s smiled since.”

“It’s...complicated,” Cas said, desperately hoping that it would be enough to end their questions.

Ruby, however, narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth, but she was interrupted by an excited squeal.

“Hello girls!”

The girls all quietly groaned as a perky blonde girl in a plain blue skirt and white top came over. They quickly plastered on false smiles as the girl beamed at them and handed out some posters.

“Oh, don’t you girls  _ love  _ the first day of school?” She asked, her grin unsettling, “Isn’t it so exciting?”

“The biggest thrill of my life,” Ruby said, her voice dripping in sarcasm.

Either the girl didn’t notice or didn’t care, because she continued on.

“What did you girls do all summer?” She asked.

“Worked,” Jo said.

“Hobbies,” Charlier replied.

“Boys,” Ruby smirked.

“And you, Hannah?” She asked, then she gasped as she noticed Cas, “Oh, my,  _ gosh _ ! You must think me so  _ rude _ !” She squeezed in beside Cas on the end of the bench, leaning in a bit too close for comfort, “My name is Becky Sinclair! And you?”

“Castiel Novak.” Cas hadn’t ever met her before, but he recognized the name immediately. Apparently, Becky had a crush on Sam, and they’d been interrupted on more than one occasion to rescue Sam from her, as she would follow him on her bike.

Cas had very quickly grown to dislike Becky, if only for her theft of his precious time alone with Dean. Now that he was actually meeting her, Cas didn’t feel any different.

“Novak?” She asked, glancing at Hannah.

“My cousin,” she explained, “He spent the summer with us and now he’s living with us until he graduates.”

“Oh! Do you go by Cas as well?” She asked, “Sam was talking about Dean hanging out with a Cas – I thought it was a girl.”

“That is me, and I’m not a girl.”

“Neato!” 

There was a slight silence on the table as they waited to see if Becky would leave. Perhaps she would take the hint that she wasn’t welcomed and leave.

Instead, she opened her lunch and began to eat with them.

* * *

Across campus on the bleachers, at the top corner, the Hunters ate their lunch, listening eagerly as Kevin nervously regaled them with the tale of how he’d gotten to second base at summer camp.

“Wow,” Dean said with a laugh once he finished, “seems like everyone got some this summer. Good job, Kev.”

“Everyone except you, Deano,” Gabe pointed out, “You were stuck to Cassie’s hip all summer, apparently.”

“Yeah,” Benny said, leaning forward to rest his arms on his knees, “I thought you’d have a kid by now.”

“Nice to know you have such faith in me.”

“Oh, we’ve got faith in you,” Gabe assured with a crooked smile, “but we know you don’t like to be alone too much.”

“That’s a load of horseshit.”

“I mean…” Sam began, but Dean punched him lightly.

“Don’t agree with them!”

“I’m jazzed that you spent the summer with Cassie, he really needed it,” Gabe said, “but I have to say that I am disappointed that Dean was in a drought all summer long.”

“I was  _ not _ !” Dean snapped, which was a bad idea.

“Oh, so you  _ did  _ get some!” Kevin said. 

“Well, you should’ve said so sooner, brother,” Benny drawled.

“Tell us all the horny details!” Gabe demanded.

Dean glanced over at Sam, who shrugged. A simple movement, but the two brothers had become very good at communicating silently.

_ Sorry, can’t help you there. _

Dean sent him back a quick glare that said  _ you suck  _ before turning to the others with a smile.

“Well, I wasn’t with Cas every second. I ended up having some fling with an out-of-towner.”

Dean had learned many valuable lessons in life, and one such lesson was this: whenever you lie, always add a bit of the truth in there. Made things easier to believe and keep track of.

“Oh  _ really _ ?” Gabe asked, leaning forward into Dean’s space, “Because neither Cassie nor Hannah mentioned this babe to me.”

“They never met her. It was strictly casual.”

“Seriously?” Benny scoffed, “Dean, you’re better than that.”

“Hey!” He protested, “She was nice, and we hung around each other, but neither of us expected more. We were just friends with benefits.”

“You  _ dog _ !” Gabe cheered as he punched Dean’s shoulder, “So, what? How come nobody saw you at Makeout Point?”

“Do you really think people are paying attention to anything outside their cars?” Sam scoffed, “The heat could come up with sirens blazing and no one would notice.”

“He makes a good point,” Benny mused, “Did you take her to The Grotto?”

“Yeah,” Dean admitted, “we needed the privacy.”

“Of course,” Gabe said with a wave of his hand, “That’s what The Grotto is for. So tell me, how was her chassis? Classy?”

“The classiest.”  _ Yeah, Cas is a babe. _

“Can she get me a friend?” He asked.

Sam punched him lightly, earning a round of laughter from the group.

“You have a girlfriend!” Kevin cried, “Or did you break up with Kali as soon as you got back from her lakehouse?”  
“Of course not! I just think a second girlfriend would be a lot of fun. Besides,” Gabe said with a sigh, lying down on the row of seats, “it’s long-distance right now, which _sucks._ We talked, and she doesn’t care if I get my rocks off, so long as I don’t have an ankle-biter to show for it.”

“I know the feeling,” Dean admitted, taking a drink of his pop. He really wished he hadn’t spoken though, since he quickly caught the attention of everyone else.

“I thought you said it was just a fling?” Benny asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Does Dean have a serious girlfriend?” Gabe cried, sitting up properly with an eager grin.

“Never thought we’d see the day,” Kevin said, wiping away a nonexistent tear.

“Alright everyone, cool your jets,” Dean said, “I wasn’t talking about the girl. We haven’t spoken since the last time we hooked up, and I’ll probably never see her again.”

“So who were you talking about?” Benny asked.

“Cas,” Dean admitted, looking into his can, trying very hard to act nonchalant, “we got pretty close over the summer, he’s a good guy and my friend. I miss him.”

“He said he’d write,” Sam said, “but it’s not exactly a quick trip to Canada.”

Gabe suddenly looked like he wanted to say something very badly, his lips pressed thinly together as his eyes widened. As he was very close to Dean’s face, he snapped, “What?”

“I think you’ll be hearing from Castiel real soon.”

Before Dean could ask what the hell Gabe meant, he sprang to his feet, startling all of them. They protested, but he just ignored them, bounding awkwardly down the bleachers. He stumbled a bit at the bottom, but it didn’t stop him from sprinting off towards the school.

“What’s got him beatin’ it like that?” Benny asked.

“Whatever it is,” Kevin said, watching him run, “it can’t be good.”

_ No, it cannot _ , Dean thought.

* * *

“Did anything happen between you and Dean?” Charlie asked Cas eagerly.

Becky had since left them to talk to her other friends, and the group chatted idly. Before Cas could lie in response to Charlie, Ruby scoffed.

“Oh  _ please _ . This is Dean we’re talking about – he’s straight as a board.”

“I have to agree,” Jo said with an apologetic smile, “I’ve known Dean probably the longest, like, since we were  _ little _ . He’s definitely not gay – if he was, I would’ve seen it.”

_ Not with a father like John Winchester,  _ Cas thought bitterly, but he said nothing. 

“Hannah!”

Everyone turned to see Gabriel running through the cafeteria. He bumped into someone and shouted a quick “sorry!” before crashing into their table.

“Jeez, Gabe!” Hannah snapped, “Cool it, would you?”

“Dean doesn’t know about Cassie!” Gabe declared, “And he  _ misses  _ him!”

“I would hope so, he spent all summer with him,” Charlie said with a laugh.

“We gotta make it a surprise!” Gabe insisted, “I say we show Cas to Dean at the pep rally on Friday. We’ll be there.”

Hannah grinned, looking at Cas beside her, “What do you think? Can you avoid Dean Winchester for four days?”

Cas smiled, “I think I can manage that.”


End file.
